1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a method for the cleansing of tooth enamel which is stained by fluorosis. More particularly, this invention relates to the application of acid solutions to the stained tooth enamel thereby removing or reducing the stain.
2. Description Of The Art
One of the serious dental cosmetic problems arises due to fluorosis. Fluorosis, or mottled enamel, is a form of enamel hypoplasia resulting from ingested fluorides during the tooth formation period. The severity of the enamel defects appears to be related to the amount of fluoride ingested so that, for example, when the fluoride level is lower than one part per million, there is little chemically significant mottling, and as fluoride levels go up, so too does the severity of mottling. There is a wide variation in the clinical appearance of teeth affected by fluorosis or mottling. The affected teeth are those that, during their formative periods, were subjected to abnormally high levels of fluoride. The enamel defects are invariably bilateral, involving similar teeth in all four quadrants. While there is no pain associated with fluorosis, the defects have been heretofore largely permanent and when severe may be disfiguring.
Although not all cases of fluorosis are disfiguring, nevertheless, visible changes occur even under mild fluorosis. The affected teeth demonstrate visible changes ranging from the presence of scattered, multiple, small-sized, flat, grey or white spots or flecks on the surface of the enamel in the case of mild fluorosis, through conditions wherein the entire or a major portion of the enamel appears chalky-white, unglazed or dull, and the presence of pitting which may be stained tan, brown or even black in the case of moderate fluorosis. In the case of severe fluorosis, the conditions which are exhibited by the affected teeth appear similar to those described above for moderate fluorosis although the degree of tooth deformity is increased. Disfigurement, in this instance, due to abnormal shape and size of crowns, together with severe pitting and staining, may be pronounced.
Current treatment methods are directed toward resolving the cosmetic effects of fluorosis. These treatments center on either the use of caps which cover the stained and disfigured teeth or the use of bleaching agents for treatment of individual teeth. Each of these techniques has its short comings. In the case of capping, there is the issue of great expense. In the case of bleaching, present procedures call for isolating the tooth to be treated and treating the tooth for up to several weeks. The bleaching technique has limited effectivity and is quite time consuming requiring several applications per affected tooth.
It would, therefore, be highly desirable to have a quick, inexpensive method or removing stains caused by fluorosis.